Genesis 29:1 So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.
Based on the encounter with Yahweh at Bethel: “His heart, as the Jewish writers say, lift up his legs, and he walked apace, and with great alacrity…” (Gills Exposition) And he came to the land of the SONS OF THE EAST… "Tribes located east and northeast of Canaan, many of them overtly hostile to the Jews… The comprehensiveness of the term is evident in the way it is used to refer to nomads (Ez 25:10) or Mesopotamians (1 Kgs 4:30). The term also occurs in association with specific tribes, such as the Amalekites (Jgs 6:3), Ammonites (Ez 25:4), Edomites (Is 11:14), Kedarites (Jer 49:28), Midianites (Jgs 6:33), and Moabites (Ez 25:10). The most distinguished OT personality linked to the term is the patriarch Job, who is called the greatest man among all the people of the east (Jb 1:3). Job's homeland, the land of Uz, was probably in the vicinity of Edom to the southeast of the Dead Sea.” (Tyndale Bible Commentary) Not all were pagans.
2 And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. 3 Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth.
Gathered at a well—Three flock had gathered but all of the regulars had not arrived. So the well remained shut. Civil laws kept order among the people of the east. "On its mouth was a large stone, indicating that water was precious, and that the well was the common property of the surrounding natives. The custom was to gather the flocks, roll away the stone, ..., water the flocks, and replace the stone…. There was a rule or custom that the flocks must be all assembled before the stone was rolled away for the purpose of watering the cattle. This may have been required to insure a fair distribution of the water to all parties, and especially to those who were too weak to roll away the stone."(Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
4 And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” 5 Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6 So he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”
“My brethren, where are you from?” This is " a kind and affable way of speaking, used even to strangers, since all men are brethren by nature;” (Gill's Exposition)— all created by Yahweh and all descending from Adam... and from Noah after the destruction of the flood. And perhaps, spiritually, all possessing some true religion, as Laban and those in his household did.
"Providence brought him to the very field where his uncle’s flocks were to be watered, and there he met with Rachel, who was to be his wife. The Divine Providence is to be acknowledged in all the little circumstances which concur to make a journey or other undertaking comfortable and successful…” (Benson Commentary) LABAN THE SON OF NAHOR… "Laban was really the son of Bethuel and grandson of Nahor; but Nahor was the founder of the family, as being the original immigrant from Ur, who came to supply Abraham’s place on his departure.” (Ellicott's Commentary)
Rachel coming with the sheep- It did not seem common to have shepherdesses— woman shepherds. "The Jews say, that the hand of God was upon Laban's flock, and there were but few left, so that he put away his shepherds, and what remained be put before his daughter Rachel, see Genesis 30:30; and some ascribe it to his covetousness that he did this…” (Gill’s Exposition) But to fix the situation, here is Jacob—her kinsman.
7 Then he said, “Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.” 8 But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”
9 Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative and that he was Rebekah’s son. So she ran and told her father.
"The Targum of Jonathan says, he did it with one of his arms; and Jarchi, that he removed it as easily as a man takes off the lid cover of a pot.” (Gill’s Exposition) In any regard, he was bold to forego the custom of the land. "Rachel‘s approach awakens all Jacob‘s [strength, courage and] warmth of feeling. He rolls away the stone, waters the sheep, kisses Rachel, and bursts into tears… He informs Rachel who he is, and she runs to acquaint her father." ” (Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
Jacob kisses Rachel— "A simple and pure method by which the primitive inhabitants of the earth testified their friendship to each other, first abused by hypocrites, who pretended affection while their vile hearts meditated terror, (see the case of Joab), and afterwards disgraced by refiners on morals, who, while they pretended to stumble at those innocent expressions of affection and friendship, were capable of committing the grossest acts of impurity. [Yet Jacob has pure motives, as well as means here, in contrast to his dealings at home.]... AND WEPT— From a sense of the goodness of his heavenly Father, and his own unworthiness of the success with which he had been favored. The same expressions of kindness and pure affection are repeated on the part of Laban, Gen 29:13.” (Adam Clarke Commentary) SO SHE RAN AND TOLD HER FATHER; leaving the care of her flock with Jacob; Rebekah, in a like case, ran and told her mother, Genesis 24:28, which is most usual for daughters to do; but here Rachel runs and tells her father, her mother very probably being dead, as say the Jewish writers.” (Gill’s Exposition)
13 Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And he stayed with him for a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?
Laban’s house had knowledge of the One true God, but they also had other gods that drew them away from the faith and the salvation of Yahweh. "Laban hastens to welcome his relative to his house. 'Surely my bone and my flesh art thou.' This is a description of kinsmanship probably derived from the formation of the woman out of the man Genesis 2:23.” (Barnes) Perhaps the excitement centers on the fact that Laban had NO SONS, or heirs according to ancient tradition, no one to bring along as head of the household after his death. But some refute this due to the mention of sons in later narratives. "The question which suggests itself, why, if Laban had sons (Gen. 30:35, 31:1), did he send Rachel to keep his flocks (29:7-10), is explained in the Midrash by the fact that he had no sons before Jacob's arrival, and that it was because of his association with the latter that God gave him sons...” http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9568-laban
And he stayed with him for a month.
"Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban‘s establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was THE HAND OF RACHEL.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Comm.)
"By this time Laban has discerned that in Jacob he would have a very competent shepherd. No doubt, Jacob began to serve in this capacity at once. His faithfulness and his industry were immediately apparent.” (H C Leupold)
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.
"Laban wished to open the way for his love suit, which, on account of his poor condition he had not yet ventured to press. We see afterwards, indeed, that Laban willingly gives both his daughters to him.“ (Lange) "Leah was tender eyed,.... Onkelos renders the words, 'the eyes of Leah were beautiful,' as if her beauty lay in her eyes, and nowhere else: BUT RACHEL was beautiful and well favoured; in all parts, in the form of her countenance, in her shape and stature, and in her complexion, her hair black, her flesh white and ruddy, as Ben Melech observes.” (Gill’s Exposition)
18 Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
"All they who attempt to reduce the transaction here described to the level of a purchase are injecting foreign elements into the text. At no time in Israel’s history were wives purchased. The customary móhar, or dowry-money, was regarded as proof of financial competence on the bridegroom’s part… Without sentimentality or cheap emotionalism the author describes very beautifully and most effectively the strength of Jacob’s love. Years seemed like mere days 'for the love he had to her.’” (H C Leupold)
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24 And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”
26 And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
"It was an early custom to give daughters in marriage according to their seniority; and it is worthy of remark that the oldest people now existing, next to the Jews, I mean the Hindoos, have this not merely as a custom, but as a positive law; and they deem it criminal to give a younger daughter in marriage while an elder daughter remains unmarried. Among them it is a high offense, equal to adultery, "for a man to… give his youngest daughter in marriage while the eldest sister remains unmarried.; - Code of Gentoo Laws, chap. xv., sec. 1, p. 204. This was a custom at Mesopotamia; but Laban took care to conceal it from Jacob till after he had given him Leah…” (Adam Clarke)
"This piece of information, if it was true, should, of course, have been communicated at least seven years earlier.” (The Preacher's Commentary)
27 Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”
"Laban ensures the revenge of the firstborn. Jacob does not see the irony. Instead, he protests that he has been deceived. For the most part, the interpretive tradition sides with Jacob. Laban is portrayed as a wicked man who lies and cheats. Yet traditional readers are not univocal. One ancient Jewish midrash brings out the way in which the deception of Jacob seems fitting retribution for his deception of Isaac: All that night he kept calling her ‘Rachel’ and she kept answering him ‘yes’ 'But the next morning, behold, it was Leah. ’ … He said to her, ‘Liar and daughter- of- a- liar! ’ She answered: 'Can there be a schoolmaster without any pupils? Was it not just this way when your father called out to you ‘Esau’ and you answered him?’ (Genesis Rabbah 70. 19, quoted from Kugel 1998:380).” (Brazos Theological Commentary)
28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. 29 And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. 30 Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years.
I have always thought that he did not get Rachel until after another seven years of labor, but I now think I was wrong. "'Fulfil her week;' i.e., let Leah's marriage-week pass over. The wedding feast generally lasted a week (cf. Judges 14:12; Job 11:19). After this week had passed, he received Rachel also: two wives in eight days. To each of these Laban gave one maid-servant to wait upon her; less, therefore, than Bethuel gave to his daughter (Gen 24:61)..." (Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament) "At the end of the week-long wedding feast, Jacob also married Rachel, then served seven more years for her."(Believer's Bible Commentary)
"This bigamy of Jacob must not be judged directly by the Mosaic law, which prohibits marriage with two sisters at the same time (Leviticus 18:18), or set down as incest (Calvin etc.), since there was no positive law on the point in existence then. At the same time, it is not to be justified on the ground, that the blessing of God made it the means of the fulfilment of His promise, viz., the multiplication of the seed of Abraham into a great nation. Just as it had arisen from Laban's deception and Jacob's love, which regarded outward beauty alone, and therefore from sinful infirmities, so did it become in its results a true school of affliction to Jacob, in which God showed to him, by many a humiliation, that such conduct as his was quite unfitted to accomplish the divine counsels, and thus condemned the ungodliness of such a marriage, and prepared the way for the subsequent prohibition in the law.” (Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament)
Genesis 29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; [Literally See, a Son] for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.[Literally Heard] 34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. [Literally Attached] 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah.[Literally Praise] Then she stopped bearing.
Leah was hated or unloved... "Leah was hated comparatively to Rachel, less loved, slighted. So that word is oft used, as Deu 21:15 Matthew 6:24 10:37, compared with Luke 14:26 John 12:25." (Matthew Poole) "And there are many things to be said for it; she was not beautiful as Rachel was; she was not Jacob's choice, as she was but imposed upon him through deceit, and he was forced to marry her, or he could not have Rachel his beloved wife…” (Gill's Exposition) but she was Yahweh’s choice, as Jesus Christ was the Lion of the the tribe of Judah. She, not the beloved Rachel, is in the genealogy of Messiah. Man looks at outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart. (1 Sam 16:7)
Yahweh by name— "It is remarkable that both the narrator and Leah employ the proper name of God, which makes the performance of promise a prominent feature of his character.” (Barnes Notes on the Bible)
Yahweh saw! "The desperate loneliness and hurt of Leah, the older sister, did not go unnoticed in heaven and by way of consolation…The Lord continued to open her womb with great regularity and each time she produced a son. Without exception the names of her sons spoke, in one form or another, of her heartache and unfulfilled desires. In rapid succession Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah were born to Jacob and Leah." (The Preachers’s Commentary)
"Most intriguing here are the births of Levi and Judah. From these sons come two of the most crucial institutions of the Old Testament—priesthood and kingship. Both institutions have their origin in an unwanted marriage laced with deception and bitterness. Paul is correct; God does work in all things for good (Rom. 8:28).”(The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary) "From her comes the priesthood (Levi), the royal line (Judah), and ultimately the Christ...” ( Believer's Bible Commentary)— the Priest and King-- who, when His Kingdom is established on the earth will "reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." (Luke 1:33)
"The names Leah gave her children, expressed her respect and regard, both to God and to her husband. Reuben, or See a son, with this thought, Now will my husband love me; Levi, or joined, expecting, Now will my husband be joined unto me. Mutual affection is both the duty and comfort of the married relation; and yoke-fellows should study to recommend themselves to each other, 1Co 7:33,34. She thankfully acknowledges the kind providence of God in hearing her. Whatever supports and comforts us under afflictions, or tends to our deliverance from them, God must be owned in it. Her fourth son she called Judah, or praise, saying, Now will I praise the Lord. This was he, of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. Whatever is the matter of our rejoicing, ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving. Fresh favours should quicken us to praise God for former favours; Now will I praise the Lord more and better than I have done. All our praises must centre in Christ, both as the matter of them, and as the Mediator of them. He descended after the flesh from him whose name was Praise, and He is our praise. Is Christ formed in my heart? Now will I praise the Lord.” (Matthew Henry)